Rivals Are Always Such A Pain
by girly tomboy
Summary: "I'm ending our rivalry, Sadist."


**Anime: Gintama**

**Pairing/Characters: Okita Sougo and Kagura, Sakata Gintoki**

**Rating: T (Explicit Language)**

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to the genius Sorachi Hideaki.**

**A/N: I've been having a writer's block of sorts, so I apologize if this might be similar to one of my other fics.**

* * *

Rivals Are Always Such a Pain

X

* * *

"I'm ending our rivalry, Sadist."

"Tch. Fine by me."

Except it wasn't.

Up until this moment, Sougo had never felt so at a loss for words when regarding the China beast in front of him. To say that this was a shock was far an understatement. What suddenly enlightened her to end their demented way of bonding was beyond him, and he had half a mind to question her about it.

Sougo knew, and had begrudgingly admitted, that China and his rivalry would have had to end some time later on, but what he hadn't predicted was that the vermilion haired girl would want to break it up so soon. Although the flaxen haired man would never admit it out loud, he secretly enjoyed their routine fights and skirmishes, be it a physical brawl or an exchanging of derogatory insults and name-calling.

And sometimes, he fervently hoped that past all the playful fighting and loathing of one another, and past all the sneers and absolute contempt they showed each other in public, there was another connection underlying all of that. Something he couldn't put his finger on, nor have the courage to do so, but he believed was there nonetheless. A sense of bonding and equality so unique from everyone else who's had the misfortune of encountering the Sadist, perhaps. Maybe it was the irony of the fact that the brazen China girl, his sworn enemy and nemesis, was also the one who related the most with him; who had experienced most, if not all the problems and struggles he himself had to deal with.

Or quite possibly, it was something much more deeper, and much more foreign.

_'Ha. Guess not, if she's so damn willing to break it off.'_

And just like that, all his wishful thinking and hoping had been completely shattered, tossed without caution into the wind with just six measly words. Although Sougo's stoic facade belied his inner turmoil, it hardly did anything to quell his anger and slight confusion, threatening to surge to the surface. He discreetly clenched his fists, trying so damn hard not to let his boiling emotions show themselves.

After a pregnant pause, Kagura, noticing that Sougo wasn't going to add anything else to the already awkward conversation, cleared her throat and nodded her head, reaffirming what she just stated earlier. Her gaze lingered on his face, and for a split second, the flaxen haired man looked like he was about to say something. That moment immediately passed, however, and a passive expression reappeared on his smooth complexion, his crimson orbs staring back at her nonchalantly.

Taking that as her cue to leave, the vermilion haired girl hastily readjusted the umbrella leaning against her shoulder and lifted a hand up to wave at him once, just as quickly turning around to make her way back to the Yorozuya Gin-Chan.

"Well... Bye."

Sougo stood rigid as he blankly watched her lithe figure walk away, waiting until not even the shadow of her silhouette was visible before he released a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping just a fraction. The flaxen haired man tried to quell the feeling of regret for not asking her earlier, but to no avail. It only proved to further fuel his curiosity as to why she had ended their rivalry so abruptly.

_'What's done is done.'_

Sougo felt his stomach clenching at the thought of never having his routine brawls with China again, and all of a sudden, he couldn't stand being outside anymore, a strong desire to do nothing but nap and lounge around quickly sounding very appealing to him. Hastily, he stuffed his hands into his Shinsengumi uniform pockets and turned on his heel, his footsteps resounding against the pavement as he made his way over to HQ, all the more grateful that Hijikata wasn't around there, for the nicotine addict had been assigned patrol duty on the other side of town.

_'This oblivious China brat has absolutely no idea how much she affects me.'_

* * *

As soon as Kagura slid the entrance to her cozy home shut, all signs of nonchalance were erased off of her features, only to be replaced with despondence and resignation. She breathed a shallow sigh as her shoulders slumped forward. Lackadaisically, the vermilion haired girl plopped onto the blue sofa situated in the living room, exasperation and slight guilt intermixing in her cerulean orbs.

"Oi, Kagura. Stop sulking; you're ruining the vibe here," a lazy voice suddenly drawled out. Gintoki, who had previously been reading Jump at his desk, looked up at the sound of his surrogate daughter entering their residence. The usually energetic girl looked worn out, and the incoherent grumblings he heard as she unceremoniously dumped herself onto the sofa was a little worrisome.

Of course, Gintoki being Gintoki, he didn't pry into it too much and feigned being impassive, the only indication that he was interested was the slight tilt of his head as he observed the girl in front of him.

"You're ignoring Gin-chan now? What is it? You ran out of _sukonbu, _didn't you? Is it constipation? Boy problems?"

The silver-haired sugar addict had meant the last one as a joke, but seeing as the moping Kagura suddenly turned rigid where she laid at the mention of it, all color vanished from the older man's face as he blanched, not entirely believing it at first.

"..."

"..."

"... Kagura? You're kidding, right? No way would you ever like boys, right?"

"I don't like anyone, Gin-chan. Who the hell would ever be interested in that Sadist anyways?" Kagura muttered more to herself than to Gintoki, who had to strain his ears to fully catch what she said. After a pregnant pause, realization soon dawned on the man's features as he processed what his surrogate daughter was talking about, and _who _it pertained to.

_'The Sadist? Isn't that Souichiro-kun? Don't tell me...' _The silver-haired ex-samurai audibly gulped, almost immediately conjuring up images of Kagura's baldy of a father somehow finding out, shivers running up his spine just by picturing the outcome of the bloody war that was sure to commence. It didn't help that said flaxen haired boy, as indicated by the nickname Kagura gave him, was a corrupt, menacingly sadistic person at heart, and would most likely film a dog drowning than even attempt to save it.

He was about to question the vermilion haired Yato further when she suddenly shot up from her seat, using her arms as support and resting her body weight on her knees. Her appearance was disheveled as she stared blankly at him. Promptly, she lifted her right arm and pointed an accusatory finger at her surrogate father, her impassive expression still etched on her porcelain-like features.

"This is all your fault, Gin-chan," Kagura tutted, a small pout of disdain soon morphing on her face, irritation underlying the accusatory glance she sent his way. Gintoki could only stare in disbelief, for what father wouldn't when their daughters had just abruptly exclaimed that they were the source of all of their boy problems?

"What are you talking about, Kagura?! Are you sure you're not just hungry and the lack of food is just getting to you?! And don't you dare involve me in this! How is it my fault?!" The older, silver haired man spluttered in shock, trying to make sense of what the younger girl had just uttered.

"You don't remember, Gin-chan? It was about the conversation we had a week ago, with Shinpachi too," Kagura explained, stuck in though as she mulled over what had been said in the aforementioned conversation between the Yorozuya trio.

Gintoki, signaling it as his cue, tried to reminisce the happenings of the past week, in hopes of remembering even some broken fragments of the eventful day, evidently struggling quite a bit.

_'I really am getting old.'_

* * *

"_Ne_, Gin-chan. I would be a great girlfriend, wouldn't I?"

Poor Gintoki could only splutter in surprise at the sudden bringing up of the particularly awkward subject.

"W-What are you talking about, Kagura? You're not thinking of getting a boyfriend, are you?! Remember the last time you got that titan boyfriend and his screwed up family almost destroyed the human race?! Gin-chan will not allow it!" Already, the silver-haired perm head's voice was escalating in volume, panic scrawled on his normally lax features.

Shinpachi, who had been preoccupied with dusting the floor, immediately halted in his steps and stared incredulously at the vermilion haired girl, memories of the carnage that occurred when she had gotten herself a beau still fresh in his mind.

"I agree with Gin-san. What's gotten into you, Kagura-chan? Has the heat finally messed up your senses. I knew we should have had an AC installed," the Glasses rambled, trying to convince himself that Kagura's uncharacteristic question was due to the unnecessarily sweltering heat permeating from outside. Sweat beads were starting to trickle down Shinpachi's face, the penetrating heat not the only source of them.

"Stop being such old geezers, Gin-chan, Shinpachi. The boys I play with at the park brought up how I would be a terrible girlfriend because I eat too much sukonbu. Hah! Those losers don't know the true value of _sukonbu_! Right, Gin-chan?" Kagura enthusiastically asked, a condescending flicker in her cerulean orbs as she leaned forward.

"No guy would want a girl who eats more than him, or can beat him up within an inch of his life, Kagura. Listen here, silly daughter of mine. All men are pigs. They're all lying, cheating, dirty bastards, got that? They're all fixated on money, sex, and more money. Any questionable ties you have with any male, break them off immediately, Kagura, especially if you have conflicting emotions about them. Physical pain isn't the only thing they'll cause you. Interact with them longer, and you'll be regretting it. Of course, _I'm_ the exception. I don't know about that dirty pair of glasses over there, though."

Shinpachi's complaint went unheard by both Gintoki and Kagura, the former redirecting his attention back to his Jump and the latter in seemingly deep thought. Soon enough, however, the vermilion haired Yato bounded from her seat on the sofa, calling out to Sadaharu in the process.

"Let's go on a walk, Sadaharu," the girl yelled out casually, her trademark parasol already open as she prepared to head out. Similarly, the gigantic, furry beast of a dog she beckoned to was energetically wagging its tail and lolling its tongue out, excitedly waiting for Kagura.

After making sure the owner and her pet were out the door and out of earshot, Shinpachi pointedly glared at his employer, a look of disdain evident on his face.

"Wasn't that a bit too harsh, Gin-san? And what will we do if Kagura-chan develops a phobia to the opposite gender, or something of the like? Like you're in any position to talk about the evil in men. 'The exception' my ass..." The Glasses Stand lectured, hands on his hips and broom forgotten by his side.

"What I'm doing is perfectly fine, Shinpachi. Kagura can handle herself well when it comes to physical capabilities, but she's completely oblivious when romantic feelings are involved, especially since it's pertaining to the opposite sex. Don't you worry, Patsuan. Gin-chan's got this completely under control," the silver-haired perm head lazily drawled out, never once straying his gaze from his Shounen Jump.

Shinpachi stared reluctantly at the older man, before finally returning to his housecleaning duties, fully intent on dropping the subject.

At least, for now.

* * *

Gintoki immediately blanched at the recollection of his memories, now fully aware of the conversation that had occurred between the Yorozuya trio, and the implications Kagura meant when she accused him that it was his fault. Hesitantly, the man glanced back at his surrogate daughter, nervous beads of sweat trickling down his round face as she continued to point at him, her cerulean orbs narrowing once he remembered their conversation a week ago.

"W-What are you t-talking about? How is it my fault? You're the one who chose to follow my advice, Kagura. It's entirely on you when the results weren't what you expected. Besides, no good can come from frolicking around Sofa-kun all day anyways. You hate him anyways, right?" Gintoki tried to nonchalantly shrug, yet was still wary of the vermilion haired Yato in front of him, who had now lowered her arm and was content with staring down at her folded knees.

Still, the silver-haired man was ever so grateful that Shinpachi was preoccupied with helping his sister re-decorate the Shimura household, and so wasn't present at the moment to bear witness to the awkward conversation happening between the remaining Yorozuya members.

_'I could just see my reflection on his glasses when he glares at me for doing this,' _Gintoki inwardly moaned, once again thanking the heavens that the glasses boy wasn't in the room, the older man already imagining the smug look on his employee's face.

He glanced back at Kagura, who still seemed to be contemplating something, a myriad of emotions flickering across her smooth complexion as concentration swirled in her bright, cerulean irises. "I wouldn't say I... hate the Sadist," she suddenly rebutted, her eyes still downcast as she fidgeted with the hem of her _cheongsam. _

Gintoki could only stare in disbelief, for it was the first time his surrogate daughter had ever regarded a person that way, and a _male _no less. _'That damn Sofa better not take Kagura away! I won't allow it! Her baldy of a father won't allow it!'_

"So that means you're not talking to him...?" The vermilion haired Yato's head nodded once in affirmation before she regarded her surrogate father with wide, questioning eyes.

"It's strange, Gin-chan. Even though I'm not talking to the Sadist anymore, my body feels warm all over and I get this tight feeling in my chest, as if it's about to burst." Kagura suddenly clenched her right hand over the left side of her chest, tightly squeezing the fabric of the _cheongsam _in the process. "When I told him that I was ending our rivalry, my chest started to hurt again, even more than usual when he didn't react. Tell me why, Gin-chan," the vermilion haired girl pleaded, wincing to add emphasis. An expression of consternation was plastered on her face, and she looked thoroughly confused.

Gintoki, although he found the implication of what she just said morbid, couldn't help the commiserating smile that fleeted across his face, his heart clenching at the sight of his painfully oblivious surrogate daughter, confused and distraught over an onslaught of turbulent, foreign emotions her Yato mindset couldn't keep up with.

"Listen, Kagura. Your precious Gin-chan can't help you this time. That painful feeling in your chest is perfectly normal for any human teenager to go through. Most of the time, anyways. But it's up to you to decipher the meaning behind it, and the meaning you want it to represent. Unless, of course, you actually feel like dying and you can barely stand. If that happens, Kagura, you need to go to a hospital. But other than that, I trust you enough to figure out that decision yourself," Gintoki finished, a warm smile on his face as he ruffled Kagura's vermilion hair softly.

Although there were still traces of doubt and confusion in her cerulean orbs, she couldn't help but feel exuberant that her surrogate father had given her a rare speech, even going so far as to rustle her hair afterward, something the usually lazy man reserved for rare occasions.

Taking that as a signal to end the conversation, Kagura resumed playing with the hem of her _cheongsam, _quickly dropping it only to bound to the kitchen in search of food. Gintoki, on the other hand, just watched in blasé exasperation as the vermilion haired Yato practically ravished the fridge, soon directing his attention back to his neglected Jump.

_'If she's this dense when it comes to her own feelings, poor Souichiro-kun has his work cut out for him.'_

* * *

As Kagura bounded through the streets of Kabukichou, an energetic Sadaharu in tow, she couldn't help but revel in the deliciously subtle, yet refreshing breezethat blew her way, tussling her vermilion locks in the process. Casually, she turned to walk to the park, where she had planned to play with Sadaharu for the remainder of the morning.

As the vermilion haired Yato languidly strolled to the park, images of the past conversation with Gintoki a few weeks prior flashed through her mind, relaying themselves in blurred fragments. Her surrogate father's message, however, still rang clear in her mind. Many times had she mulled over her current situation with the Sadist, who, much to her consternation, still permeated her everyday thoughts to this day, and many times had she sought Gintoki's forewarning in hopes of alleviating the anxious feelings arising in her chest at just the thought of Okita Sougo.

Although Kagura hadn't seen the aforementioned flaxen haired officer since the day they broke off their rivalry, the tight palpitations that occurred in her chest when his image flitted across her mind didn't cease. In fact, now that she wasn't seeing the Prince of Sadists anymore, the strange pain in her chest only seemed to increase, even more so when _swore _she saw a glimpse of him from her peripheral, only to be met with the daunting crowd of denizens going about their day and not even a trace of his black uniform.

"Tch. Useless thoughts. Let's hurry, Sadaharu! We might even be able to ma-"

Kagura wasn't able to finish her sentence, for a strong grip on her shoulder prevented her from doing so. She was just about to swear at the person who even dared to lay a hand on _her, _the Queen of Kabukicho, when suddenly, she was whirled around, the none too gently grasp on her shoulders not waning in the slightest.

Much to her mortification, she was met with a pair of hauntingly familiar crimson orbs, a seething rage swirling in their depths as her captor glared at her.

"It's been a while, _China. _Care to tell me why that is?"

Her blood ran cold.

* * *

Sougo had been downright annoyed the morning Hijikata had barged into his sleeping quarters and assigned him Shinsengumi work even though it was his day off. Normally, the flaxen haired officer would have brushed the mayonnaise addict off and continued to peacefully slumber away, if not for the constant persistence of the superior before him, who had even resorted to yank his sheets away and threaten to reduce his pay in half if Sougo didn't so much as budge in the next two seconds.

And so, a rather grumpy First Division Captain had lazily forced himself out of the unbelievably warm _futon, _already conjuring up images of Hijikata's painful demise. What was worse, he was assigned to patrol around the Kabukichou area, where he knew a certain vermilion haired ex-rival resided. Whenever he he had the misfortune of being assigned there, which was way too often for his tastes, fate had a knack for leading him straight to the China beast.

Every. Single. Time.

Just the mere thought of that left a sour taste in the First Division Captain's mouth, for things were bound to spiral downhill now that they had ended on such awkward terms. As Sougo replayed the conversation they had weeks ago in his head, he couldn't help but feel an indescribable burst of emotion well in his chest, of which he desperately tried to quell.

Anger. Frustration. Confusion. More anger.

Part of Sougo wanted to just ignore the lurch in his stomach when he reminisced Kagura and his abrupt ending weeks ago. Another part of him wanted to break something, _anything _within the vicinity when flashes of her stoic face briefly appeared in his mind. And yet, a tiny, barely recognizable part of him, buried deep within his consciousness, wanted things to return to normal- their usual brawls, verbal insults, the occasional deep conversation here and there.

_'Damn that China beast.'_

As Sougo continued to silently rant to himself, his irritation growing by the second, he mindlessly started to walk around Kabukichou, too caught up in a particularly offensive insult to the China girl who invaded his thoughts to actually do his job properly.

That is, until a boisterous voice interrupted his thought process, and a burning sensation quickly spread to his chest once he realized exactly _who _that voice belonged to.

Daring to take a peek, the flaxen haired Shinsengumi officer wasn't disappointed in the slightest when he saw Kagura, nuzzling her gigantic mutt as she practically frolicked to the local park. Her cerulean orbs were lit up in unabashed excitement as a cheeky grin made its way to her face, pointless thoughts undoubtedly permeating her already thick head. Normally, Sougo would have smirked in amusement and lazily made his way over to her, hand already grasping the hilt of his sheathed _katana. _

This time, however, was completely different.

As the flaxen haired man continued to observe her, a growing rage unwillingly surged through his body, and he found himself snarling at nothing in particular, a feral growl escalating in the base of his throat, fueled all the more at just the sight of Kagura laughing without a care in the world.

"How dare that brazen China beast. The _nerve _of her, cackling and smiling so damn hideously, not even thinking about the inconvenience she's causing to the people around her," Sougo muttered under his breath. _'Not even thinking about me,' _he refrained from adding.

Suddenly, Sougo had a whim to approach her, to yell and scream and swear at her. For what, he wasn't sure, but he knew that the burning sensation in his chest wouldn't disappear until he did. Frantically, the flaxen haired officer marched over to the unsuspecting girl, fully intent on stopping her in her tracks.

A persistent voice was gnawing in the back of his mind to retreat, and just go about his patrol like any other, uneventful day. However, it was to no avail as something akin to instinct pushed him forward, until he had Kagura tightly in his grasp and had a clear view of her face, internally smirking as he saw the blood drain out of it at just the sight of him. Dropping his apathetic facade, Sougo let loose all the pent up frustration he had kept in, keen on projecting it through his voice and eyes.

"It's been a while, _China. _Care to tell me why that is?"

* * *

Of all the damn things to happen.

_'Why is Kami-sama so mean to me? Is it because I whacked a guy in his family jewels once? It wasn't my fault; the damn bastard stepped on my sukonbu when I dropped it,' _Kagura frantically mulled over, all the while trying to evade the prying eyes of the Sadist in front of her, who had still yet to release his grip.

"Oi, China. Look at me." The underlying message in the assertive tone he was clear. _'Don't you dare think about escaping,' _Sensing that Sougo wasn't exactly the peachiest person as of the moment, Kagura reluctantly glanced up at him, preparing herself for the onslaught of insults sure to come.

Instead, for better or worse, there was none of that. The flaxen haired officer in front of her continued to glare down at her, his crimson orbs trying to bear holes into her skull through his piercing look alone. He opened his mouth, and he heard a small intake of breath as he was about to say something, but not before quickly glancing around.

"Wait. We're attracting attention," Sougo furtively murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. Kagura, who had been anxiously anticipating his next words, stared at him skeptically before glancing around as well, noticing that there was indeed a small cluster forming around them, the curious stares of the civilians boring into the duo's own. Still, the vermilion haired girl was adamant on staying, glancing dubiously at Sougo once more.

"Since when did you ever care about others, Sadist? Just let them look," Kagura haughtily challenged, a guarded expression on her face.

"You're disturbing the peace here, China. These poor civilians are too besotted by such an unsightly beast to continue on with their day," Sougo blankly stated, his previously livid expression now gone, replaced with an apathetic neutrality.

"Hah?! You're the one who came up to me!" The vermilion haired Yato still didn't back down, her sudden furor doing attracting even more attention. The flaxen haired officer stared in exasperation at the dense girl.

Without warning, he hoisted her over his shoulder, much to her complaint, and proceeded to carry her toward the direction of the park bench they used to frequent, paying no heed to Sadaharu, who was energetically following them, believing that its owner was just playing around like usual, sensing no threat from the man in front of it. Kagura could only stare in shock that her giant beast of a pet hadn't even tried to bite Sougo's head off, like it usually did with Gin-chan and Shinpachi.

The fervently struggling Yato was about to scream obscenities at the flaxen haired young man, if not for a sudden lurch in her stomach as she was practically tossed onto the park bench, slamming the back of her head onto the back rest none too gently.

"Damn it, that hurt! What the hell do you want?!"

Sougo merely stared down at the girl sprawled on the bench, before hastily sitting down next to her, leaning on his side as his elbow, which was placed on the back rest, supported his head. A hint of irritation flickered in his crimson orbs as he scrutinized the vermilion haired Yato, immediately noticing how she unconsciously edged away from him.

Too bad he was having none of that.

"Why?" Although it went unsaid, Kagura already knew what the flaxen haired man was talking about, a strange anxiety continuously griping at her as she contemplated her next words.

"Why should it matter to you? If I recalled, you _did _say you were fine with it," she answered lamely, clearly trying to stall. For whatever reason, saying why she ended their rivalry didn't bode well with her. She was about to look away when Sougo suddenly grabbed the front of her _cheongsam, _almost hauling her off the seat as he brought her closer, a look on his face that clearly said that he wasn't in the mood to tolerate any bullshit.

"Are you an idiot?! How fucking dense can you be?! Wasn't it obvious? I was _lying_!" Sougo abruptly burst out, the familiar expression of seething anger plastered across his face once more. Kagura was completely speechless, the idea of someone as apathetic and stoic as him finally releasing their pent up frustration foreign to her. Never before had she seen him so livid, and at her to boot.

The Shinsengumi officer, seeing her shock and slight wariness, inhaled deeply and sighed just as heavily, eyes narrowing as he tried to calm himself down after losing his composure. Nonetheless, he still wanted answers. The sinking feeling he had in his gut the past few weeks kept clawing at him, and he was absolutely sure it had something to do with the brazen China girl he faced.

"Oi, answer me, China." Sougo's firm voice was unyielding as his gaze penetrated her, as if just staring at her would help him get the answers.

Sighing, Kagura stared at him once more, still guarded lest he decide to rebut again. Steeling herself, she started to explain her predicament to him, embarrassment be damned.

"Gin-chan told me that all men were pigs. He said that it was best to break off any unstable relationships with any male I knew, and so I thought of you, Sadist. Even though I hate your damn guts, and I always want to pound your fugly face into the ground whenever I see you, my chest always hurts when I see you, or when I don't see you. T-There's this burning sensation in my body, and my heart starts to beat too fast. The hell did you infect me with?! Rivals shouldn't feel that way!" Kagura paused mid-rant, a look of contempt evident on her face as she explained her reason, her cheeks aflame in what Sougo thought was the most adorable expression he's ever seen on her.

Suddenly, the vermilion haired girl heard a small chuckle from the young man before her. Soon, his small fit of chuckles turned into a bellowing laughter, something which she admitted was quite un-Sougo-like. She was just about to yell at him for mocking her when he suddenly glanced at her, a strangely relieved expression evident on his smooth complexion, so unlike Kagura's flustered face.

"Is that why you ended our rivalry? Over some petty rant _Danna _had? _Danna _this, _Danna _that. It's so damn infuriating. I'm disappointed in you, China. There really should be a limit to your obliviousness. And here I thought I dominated a larger part of your mind than this. To think that you're not even sure about our relationship really hurts this police officer's heart, y'know," Sougo mocked, a condescending smirk still ingrained on his _bishounen _features, all anger completely washed away.

Kagura, who was still quite confused, stared at him in bafflement, trying to sort out her own rampaging thoughts.

"So...?"

"So I'm saying that ending our rivalry was pointless. Either way, you're only going to fall in love with me even more," the flaxen haired officer cheekily grinned, watching as the pink dusting his counterpart's cheeks intensified, spreading up to her ears, hoping that the source of it was from embarrassment, and not rage. _'A blushing China sure is strange.'_

"W-What?! No way in hell! I fucking hate you! You're my rival!" As much as Kagura tried to deny what he said, the way she kept squirming about and how she avoided his gaze clearly told him otherwise. Sougo chuckled once more before abruptly hoisting her from her seat on the bench, roughly throwing the struggling vermilion haired girl over his shoulder once more, practically skipping toward what she assumed was the Shinsengumi Headquarters.

"Oi! Put me down! You damn sadi-!"

"Lovers can be rivals too. I know, how about I help you, China? Since you're so damn confused about us, I'll make sure you're aware of your feelings by the end of the day. In return, you'll obey my ever command. Deal? Good." Sougo squeezed Kagura's waist tightly when he felt her stirring, no doubt about to rebut. Before she could, however, a malicious grin etched itself on the flaxen haired officer's face, and the vermilion haired girl didn't have to see it for all the color to drain out of her face and shivers to run down her spine.

"Since you're my rival, after all, I fully expect you to keep up."


End file.
